BEAUMONT, Texas – A career public servant and the lead prosecutor in the Beaumont Office of the U.S. Attorney has been nominated to serve as the next U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales.

On Aug. 1, 2013, President Barack Obama nominated Robert L. Hobbs to be the United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Texas.

Hobbs, 57, of Beaumont, is a Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney and currently serves as the Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division and the attorney in charge of the Beaumont and Lufkin offices. Hobbs was an Assistant District Attorney in the Jefferson County (Texas) District Attorney’s Office from 1996 until he joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 1999.

Hobbs graduated from Lamar University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1987 and received his law degree from the South Texas College of Law in 1996. Before his career as a state and federal prosecutor, Hobbs was a police officer from 1977 to 1996. In his law enforcement career, Hobbs served in corrections, patrol, court bailiff, criminal investigations, as well as executive staff positions. In those years, he conducted many significant investigations, tracked and arrested fugitives, authored and administered federal grants, and managed large budgets and staffs.

“It is a great honor and privilege to have been nominated by President Obama to serve as the U.S. Marshal and I look forward to the Senate confirmation process,” said Hobbs. “I have enjoyed my public service career and am very excited at the opportunity to serve with the United States Marshals Service. I have had the pleasure to work closely with the Marshals Service while a police officer and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, and I will work hard to serve the Marshals Service, the U.S. District Courts, the law enforcement community, and most importantly, the citizens of the Eastern District of Texas.” He went on to say, “My only regret is leaving the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Working with Malcolm Bales, the other U.S. Attorneys for whom I have served, and the prosecutors and staff, has been the most rewarding thing I have done in my career.”

“What a great day for Beaumont, for East Texas and for our nation,” said U.S. Attorney Bales. “Robert Hobbs has given his entire adult life to serving with excellence his fellow Texans in law enforcement. He is an outstanding prosecutor, a great leader and an even better human being. I congratulate President Obama for making an outstanding selection for U.S. Marshal. My office’s loss will be the U.S. Marshals Service’ gain and we are very happy for Robert and his family. I trust that he will be quickly confirmed by the Senate.”